Splatter Matters! Make Your Own?

I’m a big fan of splatter targets – if only because I have the eyes of a 55-year-old (and I’m not giving them back). TTAG had a sponsorship thing going with Birchwood Casey targets for a while; which was just as well given the amount of shooting we do and the price of their most excellent Shot-‘N-See, Big Burst and Darkotic “reactive” targets. There is a lower-priced, home brewed alternative: DIYSplatterTargets.com. All you need is some cardboard sheets, 13-gallon garbage bags, duct tape, spray paint, a paint pen and a small shrine to Angus MacGyver and…voila! You can make your own splatter targets. While some of you will cry ain’t nobody got time for that, others will experience the joys of being crafty. Press release after the jump . . .

After buying a lot of expensive splatter targets and using paper targets and not being able to see my hits. I decided to research and make my own BIG splatter target. I think I have worked out a target that is quick to make, cheap, easy and works great.

Next I decided to share how to make a splatter target yourself.

The method I will teach you takes me about 10-15 minutes and costs under fifty cents to make. I can’t think of a better way to reuse old cardboard than to blow it full of holes with my favorite gun.

I shot the target, pictured above, with a Kimber 1911 45 ACP, a Springfield XD 9mm and a Ruger MKII 22 caliber. Heck it works well with my son’s BB gun and even his airsoft gun.

Using supplies that you most likely already lying around your house. You will need the following, a piece of cardboard at least 22×32 (best if that is one complete panel without folds and cuts). Also, you will need: a 13 gallon garbage bag (preferably unused, I used white), a box knife for cutting cardboard, duct tape, spray paint in a contrasting color to your garbage bag (I used black). Lastly, a paint pen so you can marking your sights.

What it is fun about making your own targets, besides savings some dough, is that you can make any kind of target your imagination can dream up. I made a stencil for a simple crosshairs target that I made available on my website. There are many possibilities such as a silhouette, terrorist, mugger, zombie, or even your favorite wild game. It is your target do whatever suits your fancy.

Click here for a complete (and free) instruction on how to make your own target.